1,000-strong workers rally for better conditions

1,000-strong workers rally for better conditions

JAKARTA (JP): About 1,000 workers from Greater Jakarta area
marched through the capital Sunday morning to demand better
conditions and an end to violence against workers.

Workers from the Association of Indonesia's Independent
Workers Unions held the march to commemorate International Labor
Day. The workers also demanded that the government pay more
attention to child workers and to recognize the International
Labor Day, which falls on May 1.

The peaceful march began at the circle in front of Hotel
Indonesia in Central Jakarta and ended at the Volleyball stadium
in the Senayan sports complex in South Jakarta, where the workers
lit candles and held a moment of silence.

Earlier on Saturday, more than 300 workers, student activists
and lawyers staged a rally on the campus of the University of
Indonesia on Jl. Salemba in Central Jakarta on Saturday to
commemorate International Labor Day.

Wearing red headbands bearing the words "May Day", workers
from several companies in West and North Jakarta entered the
university at about 1 p.m.

The demands aired by the workers during the rally included a
100 percent increase in standard salaries, an end to worker
dismissals, a reduction in the prices of basic commodities and
freedom to establish labor organizations.

"Today is our day. We should unite in our struggle to advance
our demands to employers and the government officials who back
the employers," a female employee said during a free speech
forum.

A small scuffle broke out between the rally's organizing
committee and representatives of the National Labor Party (PBN),
who placed their party's flags and symbols around the university.

Party officials also gave an interview to a television camera
crew in front of the university before the committee officially
opened the rally.

Committee members protested the party's actions, asking them
to remove their flags and symbols.

Surya Tjandra, one of the committee members, expressed anger
that the party used the rally to further its own interests.

"They (PBN) acted as if this rally was part of their program.
It's not a party campaign. They are not involved with the
organizing committee," Surya, who also heads the worker division
of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, said.

He said the rally committee, named the Action Committee of
Oppressed People, was founded by the legal aid institute in
cooperation with the University of Indonesia's Big Family, the
Greater Jakarta Workers Union and the Workers Committee for
Reform.

"Last week, we invited the party to join the committee but
they refused. Now they come here and do not follow our schedule,"
he said.

Party officials eventually apologized and asked party members
to remove the flags and symbols.

Another incident occurred before the rally began when a number
of workers participating in the rally were locked out of the
university campus. Security guards locked the university's gate,
saying one of the university's deputy rectors had not issued a
permit for the rally.

University students forcibly opened the gate to let the rally
participants enter the campus. No further clashes occurred.

Meanwhile, six students from the university were questioned by
police for distributing invitations to workers to join the
"illegal" rally.

Two of the six students were arrested in Kalideres, West
Jakarta, on Friday night, while the remaining four students were
arrested in Cakung, North Jakarta, on Saturday.

Lawyer Surya and the police confirmed the questioning of the
students. None of the students were detained. (jun)